Angkor Wat travel pictures

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The ancient Khmer temple Angkor Wat

The most famous sight in Cambodia is beyond any doubt the ancient Hindu temple of Angkor Wat which is located around 5.5 km from the nearby town Siem Reap. This 12th century temple used to be the capital of the Khmer Empire. The layout of Angkor Wat is divided into two sections, the temple mountain and the galleried temple. The whole place is surrounded by a large moat. Visiting Ankor Wat is quite an experience itself as it is an enormous temple complex which in real life looks even better than on the postcards.

When entering the park, you'll buy a ticket for the whole park of which Angkor Wat belongs to. When getting to this temple you'll need to cross a bridge where your ticket will be checked. From here it is where the classic view of the front facade can be seen.

After you cross the moat you can not help noticing that this place is different than many of the other ruins that make up the Archaeological park. Off course, many of the buildings have seen some restoration as it used to be largely overgrown by the jungle, but it has not been overdone and its original character has been well maintained. In other words, it still feels authentic. The first building is a large gallery which gives a good impression of the building style that was used for the construction.

Once you go through the main gate there is a long path which takes you across the field to the central structure. Along this path, there are several smaller buildings such as the libraries and a small lake which makes a photogenic picture when it is being put in the foreground. In the film Tomb Raider this small lake was filled with boats and also looked a lot larger. When you enter the central temple it feels like you become a tomb raider yourself as there are so many doorways, alleys, courtyards etc. and it is almost like you get lost and explore this place forever. The good thing about its large size is that despite the many people who visit this place, it doesn't feel crowded.

If you manage to cross the maze, do not forget to check out the gallery of thousand's Buddha's as it is quite an amazing structure in which great care to detail has been taken. It is possible to go out in the back and circle around it. In the central structure is it possible to go up one of the high stairs leading to the one of the highest points in the temple, but unfortunately this can't be done everyday.

Most people will visit Ankor Wat by a guided tour. The most practical way of doing this is by renting a personal motor driver (with trailer) in Siem Reap. The temple of Angkor Wat is most likely to be your first stop and expect to spent around two (or more hours) here to see the whole sight before moving on to the next ancient Khmer temple. Because you hire the driver for the whole day it is possible to return at the end of the day as well.

Angkor Wat travel photo gallery

The front building.	Entrance.	Courtyard.	The Cambodia photo gallery contains pictures of: Angkor archaeological park, Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Pool in front of the temple.	Stupa.	Gallery.
Corner tower.	The back.	Central structure of the temple.
The library.	Ancient brickwork.	Classic view of the central temple.
Stairs leading to the highest point.	View down from the top.	Courtyard.
Tower.	Gallery of thousand Buddha's.	Tower with many stone carvings.
View from the top to the forest that surrounds it.	Gallery of thousand Buddha's.	The outer gallery.
View from the East gate.	Outer corner structure.	Large Khmer temple.
Towers rising above the temple.	View from the main field.	The library building in the main field.
Main entrance and the moat.	The bridge for entering Angkor.	One of the towers of the outer building.
The front facade.	The path leading to the main temple.	Library in front of the towers.
View from the central path.	Library.	Classic postcard view.
Towers.	Sand path around the temple.	Tree growing in front of the main temple.
Gallery of thousand Buddha's.	Library building.	Outer wall.
Courtyard.	The central structure.	Tower at a corner.
Restored part.	Courtyard at the back of the temple.	Khmer temple.
View of the outside of the gallery.	The central structure.	Stairs.
Khmer architecture.	The central structure.	Stairs leading up to the tower.
Gallery of thousand Buddha's.	View over the field between the temple and the entrance.	The pool in front of the temple.
Towers rising above the trees.	The large field inside the temple.	Library.